Twenty years of engineering experience in the semiconductor (14), defense (3), and medical device (3) industries combine with twenty years of writing experience to create a freelance writer ideal for the tech sector. A Bachelors degree in physics and mathematics, as well as a Masters degree in engineering solidify Rick's technical competence.

Rick has written white papers, online content, popular magazine non-fiction, and more. His Masters thesis won the engineering school prize for best thesis of the semester at San Jose State University for spring of 1998. His non-fiction topics range from tropical fishes to history, and from astronomical observatories to how to create an ebook manually.

On the fiction side, he is a member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), and has nearly 50 published short stories. His three novels are in print and available, and the two fiction anthologies he edited are also still in print and available.

Rick writes using an active voice whenever possible, which helps to make the text flow. Rick's style does not call attention to itself, preferring to allow the ideas, not the sentences, to bask in the spotlight.

In addition to content creation of all kinds, Rick works closely with internet marketing experts and helped develop a process to benchmark a company's online presence against competitors. Through this effort, Rick has evaluated thousands of websites in great detail.

Highlights

Orders

26

Last Login

11/16/16

Samples

6

Industry Projects

Electronics10+

Technology6

Construction2

Summary of Industry Experience

Electronics

Writing articles and white papers from provided or researched sources. The electronics industry is a natural fit based on Rick's 14 years as an engineer in the semiconductor industry. Rick has no objection to working under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

What follows is a quote from a LinkedIn recommendation: "His written voice and ability to simplify complex processes is a welcome change from other writers I've tried to work with. I highly recommend him, both for technical, and non-technical audiences."

Technology

The below excerpt came from a position white paper describing the client's official position on a certain standardization with the potential to negatively impact their business.

Construction

Worked with a building materials supply company on providing content for their monthly newsletter. The content is a 500-word summary of the developments over the past 30 days, and a bit of futurism in the form of market and building supply projections.

What follows is a quote from the client. "Compared to the other copy writers, your work stands out. Almost to the point that I feel guilty changing anything…. writing is a work of art and I feel like my changes blow the chi of your writing."

Product Projects

Article20+

Web Page6

White Paper5

Summary of Product Experience

Article

Articles written include both corporate work and commercial publication work. Expertise and subject matter vary from technical to popular.

Web Page

Content marketing is critical to competing in the 21st century. As the main fully-owned online property, a company's website is the most important piece of the puzzle.

Rick has built and maintained his own websites for two decades, and did the same for dial-up bulletin boards before the internet was fully integrated into society. Originally, he built his own websites in HTML code, but has since converted to Wordpress.

Content is the most important aspect of a website because it is intended to convert a prospect into a customer or client. It also builds trust with the prospect.

Working with some of the best internet marketing professionals for several years has driven home the importance of integrating SEO strategies into any online content. SEO is important, but it isn't a magic elixir. Search engines want to produce a satisfying experience for their users, so the best way to rank well is produce content people want to read. SEO keywords are a part of that, but they are a part that should remain transparent to the human reader.

White Paper

White papers are among the most challenging documents to create, but they are also among the most interesting and satisfying. A long document such as a white paper requires somebody able to perform research. It also requires good decisions on what to use and what to leave out. It requires a thoroughness to enable the paper to stand up to scrutiny by a skeptical reader. These documents are intended for technical readers who are unafraid to do a little research of their own.

A prize-winning Masters thesis trained Rick for the rigors of white papers, and his ability to condense technical information into readable copy allows for a variety of target audiences. His fiction track record trained him for writing in active voice.